– by Suzanne Morphet –
Those of us lucky enough to live on Vancouver Island may think a visit to Prince Edward Island a tad superfluous. Why travel so far when we’ve got gorgeous beaches and delectable seafood right here? Not to mention stretches of wilderness that are unfathomable in PEI, a place where land is farmed and locals celebrate Bud the Spud.
But this year, Canada’s “gentle island” is celebrating something much bigger than potatoes. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference, the meeting of politicians that led to Canada’s creation. Islanders know a good thing when they see it – look how they’ve capitalized on that fictitious redheaded orphan – so an important event that really happened is grist to their mill.
“We’re digging up diaries,” Karl Bruenjes, director of marketing for PEI 2014 Inc., told me when I visited last September to preview the festivities. “Mainly George Brown’s letters to his wife,” he added, referring to one of the politicians from the Province of Canada who sailed down the St. Lawrence River in September 1864 to attend the historic gathering.
And what did the diaries reveal? A few things you probably never learned in school – at least I didn’t. Sure, delegates to the Charlottetown Conference spent a lot of time listening to each other extol the virtues of political union, but there was lots of time for eating, drinking and partying too.
“Sir John A. Macdonald brought cases of champagne to the Charlottetown Conference,” confided Bruenjes. As for the gala ball on the final night, “we know for sure there was lobster, oysters and champagne.”
Islanders are going to have some fun with that history, throwing a yearlong “homecoming” party to which we’re all invited. Confederation Landing Park in Charlottetown will offer daily entertainment and activities from the end of June through mid-September and more than 150 events will be staged across the island throughout the year.
The Summerside Lobster Carnival and the Cavendish Beach Music Festival (both in July) sound promising, as do the Tyne Valley Oyster Festival and the PEI Jazz and Blues Festival in August.
The week of August 28th to September 2nd may well be the highlight of the year, when islanders re-enact events of that historical week 150 years ago, including the gala ball. Having seen Sir John A in top hat and suspenders prancing around a dance floor last September, I suspect this year’s so-called Feast of the Fathers will be a lot of fun.
But beyond the festivities themselves, PEI has lots to offer. Last year Travel and Leisure magazine named it one of the top 10 islands in the world. (In case you care, Vancouver Island placed 13th.)
Join Captain Kenny Rae, for instance, on his fishing boat and bait giant Bluefin tuna offshore. Walk the 400-metre floating boardwalk at PEI National Park and explore the sand dunes. Kayak past the red cliffs and hidden beaches at Malpeque Bay. Lunch at lovely Dalvay by the Sea. Cycle the island from tip to tip on the Confederation Trail. Go see Anne of Green Gables – the musical.
And if you’re curious to know how some locals celebrate Bud the Spud, visit Prince Edward Distillery, where Bud is transformed into – not French fries – but vodka!
For more information, see www.pei2014.ca and enter the Homecoming contest.
